I take my podcasts very seriously - even the funny ones. I consider the genre, subject matter, the voice of the narrator or host, and the typical length of the podcast when deciding which are my favorites. I prefer a variety of options because I never know what I am going to be in the mood for. I have podcasts that I like for starting my day off right and others for ending my night on a high note, and ones that I only listen to while flying. There are so many good podcasts out there to choose from – here are just a few of my absolutely favorites that are all available for free download through ITunes:

-Serial

From the creators of This American Life, Serialis an investigative journalism podcast hosted by Sarah Koenig that tells one nonfiction story over the course of a whole season. The show currently has three seasons available. I recommend starting with Season 1 in which Koenig investigates the 1999 murder of Hae Min Lee, an 18-year-old student at Woodlawn High School in Baltimore.

-How Did This Get Made

This. Is. My. Absolute. Favorite. Every week, Paul Scheer, June Diane Raphael and Jason Mantzoukas, along with special guests, review movies that are typically considered bad (hence the title of the podcast), often in front of a live audience. Not only is it incredibly funny, you don’t have to have seen the movie to follow along with their banter. Start anywhere you want with this one – but make sure you listen to the entire episode so you get to hear Paul read 5- star Amazon reviews of each film.

-Criminal

Hosted and created by Phoebe Judge,Criminalis a podcast about crime, but isn’t typically scary, distributing or gory. The stories are often touching, personal, and before the end of the episode, I often forget what the crime even was, having become so invested in the personal story being told. These short episodes don’t require a big time commitment and are heartwarming and stunning all at the same time. Also, you can get better than Judge’s low, soothing voice when wanting to comforted, even when she is talking about a robbery or a murder.

-This American life

This American Life is a weekly hour-long radio program hosted by Ira Glass. Primarily a journalistic program, the show also features essays, memoirs, field recordings, short fiction, and found footage. Broken up into acts revolving around a single theme, the variety of stories, interviews, and investigations, the show is so potently human it should grab and keep almost anyone’s attention

-Heavyweight

Jonathan Goldstein’s hosts this amazing podcast. Each episode is titled after a person’s name that Goldstein works to help through a problem – some small and seemingly insignificant, and some that are uncomfortably large. Regardless of the issue, Goldstein has the humor, wit, and compassion to bring people to a point of talking to him about almost anything, making for some wild revelations. Two seasons are out now.

-News in Slow Spanish

Don’t stop learning just because you are traveling. News in Slow Spanish creates Immersive language learning content, which is spoken slowly enough for beginning and intermediate learners to pick up on words. Plus, keep up with current events while you study!

-S-Town

This is the only podcast I have ever listened to twice. S-Town is an investigative journalism podcast hosted by Brian Reed and created by the producers of Serial and This American Life. Done in chapters, the season tells the story of John B. McLemore who Reed spends time with in his hometown after McLemore claims he knows about an mysterious murder in town.

-Tiny Spark

Since my career is in the non-profit sector, I am partial to this podcast, but it really is for anyone. Tiny Spark is an independent news Founded in 2011 by former Africa correspondent Amy Costello, the program features in-depth interviews with leading voices from the world of nonprofits, philanthropy and international aid.

-Reply All

Reply all is a podcast hosted by PJ Vogt and Alex Goldman. The show “features stories about how people shape the Internet, and how the Internet shapes people”, but really show is about absolutely anything that comes up, because as we all know, everything and anything is on the Internet. This show is quirky, fun, and interesting.

-Global News Podcast by the BBC

Stay on top of current events anywhere in the world. The day’s top stories from BBC News will make sure no matter where you are, you will be able to talk about current events.

My name is Shelley. I am currently living in Los Angeles, California. I work for various non-profit organizations so I can help people around the world which also allows me to visit some very incredible places.

I also love to travel for adventure and fun, both with friends and family and sometimes solo. I have been to forty-two countries as of 2018. Thank you for reading my stories. All of the writing, photography, and video is by me.